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Baptist Message

"Helping Louisiana Baptists Impact the World For Christ"

Lanier Baptist Easter drama set for April 14-16

By Staff BATON ROUGE, La. – After a two-year hiatus, crowds once again will fill the worship center of Lanier Baptist Church April 14-16, 6:30 p.m. nightly, for its annual Easter drama “His Amazing Love.” More than 100 church members have worked since February to put on the production. The musical drama that includes live animals (goat, sheep and a donkey) is a three-act play with 10 scenes and such songs as “His Amazing Love,” “Come Let Us Worship the King,” “There Is Peace in Christ,” and “My Chains Are Broken.” Josh Ferguson, who plays the lead of Jesus, also co-produced and directed the drama with long-time worship leader Robert Reames. “We have struggled with adversity three times in the last six years. First, it was the flood of 2016 which caused us to cancel and then COVID-19 forced us cancel the last two years,” Ferguson said. “But all things work together for the good of those who love Him as the enthusiasm in our congregation for the 2022 presentation is off the charts. “Our stage production of ‘His Amazing Love’ is our opportunity to present to the public in an easy-to-understand depiction of the kindness and tenderness that Jesus exhibited during His earthly ministry,” he continued. “I've had the … [Read more...]

Angola inmate pastor granted parole

By Brian Blackwell, Baptist Message staff writer ANGOLA, La. (LBM) – Robert Hyde, the immediate past pastor of Grace Baptist Church in the Louisiana State Penitentiary, is now a free man after he recently was granted parole. Hyde, who from 2019-2021 pastored what is believed to be the first fully recognized Southern Baptist church inside the walls of a prison, learned of his verdict by the parole board on March 29, and he was freed the following day. The first person he met when he stepped outside the front gate of Angola was Paul Will, a long-time mentor and pastor of Grace Baptist (2006-2019) who was granted parole in 2020. “I never really knew what friendship was until I came into Christian fellowship with Paul and the others at Grace Baptist,” Hyde told the Baptist Message. “I never knew what Christian brotherhood was like until Paul and I became brothers. We hit it off and have had a really good relationship since. “Seeing his smiling face at the gate goes beyond words I can describe,” he continued. “My story of life change began with Jesus and then Paul was willing to be a part of that story as he spent a lot of time with me and helped disciple me. We leaned on each other for a lot while at Angola and I look … [Read more...]